Night blindness: symptoms, causes and treatment

Definition

What is night blindness?

Night blindness (nyctalopia) is a visual impairment that causes sufferers to have difficulty seeing in dark places or lack of light, especially at night.

People with night blindness can still see, but their eyesight is not as good as when they are in bright places.

This condition, which is also known as myopic chicken, is not a disease but a symptom of various eye diseases or disorders. Refractive disorders such as nearsightedness can also make it difficult for sufferers to see clearly in poorly lit places.

That is why, how to treat it also really depends on what disease is the underlying cause. If the cause of night blindness is a refractive error, using corrective lenses on glasses or contact lenses can help sufferers see more clearly. For eye diseases such as cataracts, the most effective treatment is surgery.

How common is this condition?

People who have nearsightedness, eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cataracts, retinitis pigmentosa (gradual loss of vision), or vitamin A deficiency can show symptoms of nearsightedness of chickens.

This condition will be more commonly experienced by people who have a high risk of experiencing the disease. For example, nearsightedness of chickens is more common in the elderly than children, because they are more at risk of developing cataracts.

Signs and symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms that indicate night blindness?

People with night blindness or farsightedness have difficulty seeing clearly when in a dark or low light room. When outdoors, a decrease in vision usually begins at dusk when the sun begins to set.

Be aware if you often experience conditions that can indicate symptoms of night blindness such as these:

• Difficulty walking and constantly bumping into objects around him even though there is little (dim) lighting in the room.
• Often falls while walking outside at night.
• Difficulty recognizing familiar people at night or in low light.
• The eyes take a long time to adapt when the lighting in the room changes from light to dark.
• Difficulty driving at night due to limited lighting.
• It takes longer to see objects clearly when in a dark environment.

When to see a doctor

If you have trouble seeing when in a dark place or in a dimly lit environment, immediately consult an ophthalmologist. Likewise, when the symptoms of myopic chicken appear above.

The doctor will perform a complete eye examination to determine the condition causing the visual disturbance that is being experienced.

Cause

What causes night blindness?

Vision problems such as nearsightedness of chickens occur when the eyes have difficulty adapting to capture light in dimly lit environments or at night.

In one of the studies in the journal History of Medicine , explained that the cause of night blindness is the damage to the nerve cells in the retina which function to respond to light, especially in limited lighting conditions.

Some conditions that can cause night blindness include:

• Nearsightedness or myopia
• Glaucoma
• Cataract
• Side effects of glaucoma treatment
• Retinitis pigmentosa
• Keratoconus
• Eye complications of diabetes

Vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness

Apart from these diseases, the main cause of night blindness is a deficiency of vitamin A. This is the main cause of nearsightedness of chickens or blindness that occurs in children.

Vitamin A plays an important role in improving vision ability. To be able to see each spectrum of light, the eye produces pigments so that the retina works properly in processing light into image signals that are sent to the brain.

According to the explanation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, when the body is deficient in vitamin A, pigment production in the retina can stop. As a result, the eye has difficulty seeing in low light.

Risk factors

What increases my risk of developing this condition?

The following are some things that put a person at a higher risk of night blindness, namely:

• Having eye disorders, such as retinitis pigmentosa, keratoconus
• Eye diseases, such as cataracts and glaucoma
• Vitamin A deficiency
• Cancer that causes damage to the eye and can lead to blindness (retinopathy)
• Pregnant and experiencing vitamin A deficiency
• Eye complications of diabetes

If you have these risk factors, it does not mean you will have myopia. However, you need to be aware of eye health conditions if you have the risk factors above.

Diagnosis

How do doctors diagnose the cause of myopia?

To determine the cause of your night blindness, your doctor will do an examination of your medical history and eyes.

Some possible eye examinations include:

1. Visual acuity test

A visual acuity test or eye refraction is done to measure how well the eye is able to focus or see clearly.

The test is carried out using a chart composed of letters (snellen chart). You will be asked to read the letters within a certain distance.

2. Examination of the slit lamp

This test is done to see the structure of the front of the eye (cornea, iris, and lens) through a magnifying glass under intense light. This examination allows the doctor to detect any minor abnormalities.

3. Retina test

This test is done to examine the structure of the back of the eye, which is the retina. In a retinal test, the eye doctor will administer eye drops so that the pupils are wide open.

In addition to eye tests, you may also be asked to do blood tests. The results are used by doctors to analyze blood sugar levels and find out whether you are deficient in vitamin A or not.

Treatment

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

What are the treatment options for night blindness?

Treatment for night blindness will depend on the disease that causes this vision disorder.

Nyctalopia caused by farsightedness, cataracts, glaucoma, and vitamin A deficiency can still be cured. The following are some ways to deal with nearsightedness of chickens based on the condition that causes them:

• Corrective lens
  The way to overcome farsightedness which is quite annoying is to use glasses or contact lenses with negative or minus lenses. Minus glasses will improve the focus of vision so you can return to see clearly both in bright and dark light conditions.

• Vitamins and a healthy diet
  If vitamin A deficiency is the cause of your night blindness, your doctor will recommend that you increase your intake of vitamin A, either through food or supplements.

• Eye surgery
  For night blindness caused by cataracts and glaucoma, you may need surgery, especially if your vision worsens gradually. Especially when it becomes increasingly difficult for you to carry out activities due to this condition. Cataract surgery aims to replace the damaged lens that causes cataracts with implanted or artificial lenses. Glaucoma surgery aims to reduce pressure on the eye to prevent further tissue damage. Vision ability in a limited lighting environment will slowly improve after surgery.

Although there are various ways, not all night blindness can be cured. Causes related to genetic disorders of the eye, such as retinitis pigmentosa, until now there is no known way to treat it.

Therefore, you need to avoid various risky activities such as driving at night or working long hours in a dark place.

Prevention

What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies that can be done to prevent nearsightedness of chickens?

Night blindness caused by genetic factors cannot be completely prevented. However, for other factors this visual disturbance can still be avoided by maintaining eye health, such as:

• Eat foods that are nutritious for the eyes, such as those containing vitamin A, antioxidants, minerals, and omega 3 fatty acids.
• Use glasses or contact lenses while on the move if you experience focus problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or cylindrical eyes.
• Adjust the lighting in the house so that the eyes can get adequate light.
• Reducing activities in dark or low light rooms and outdoors at night, such as driving.
• Have regular eye examinations to determine eye health conditions.